Tuesday, February 6, 2018

4 solid reasons that forced me to quit Facebook

Login. Like. Comment. Share. Post. React (of lately). Logout. Login again. Well, the entire blue universe knows this cycle. It is like a GIF. A continuous loop. It goes on and on. The probability of end doesn't exist. I felt good to connect with long-lost friends and re-connect with forgotten family members, and, of course, make new friends, virtual though. Facebook allowed me to easily connect with like-minded people, enabled me to join groups of things that are of interest to me. 

I recall joining Facebook around 8 years ago, I think it was 2010. Since I love to write I thought of exploring this platform too. I was quite active on SCRIBD before signing-up on Facebook. The experience on SCRIBD was totally different compared to Facebook. Constructive criticism and proper guidance existed on SCRIBD then. Not sure whether it exists now. SCRIBD gave me hands-on experience in writing poems, stories, blogs etc. I do not use SCRIBD anymore, but I still have a lot of articles on the site.

It was probably late 2010 when a colleague coaxed me to join Facebook. I signed-up quite reluctantly. He knew I was on Twitter, but he was glad. 

Days, months, and years passed, I made a lot of friends, nearly 500 in 5-6 years. Joined many groups that uplifted my zeal to write more. Exposure to 3-4 social media platforms equipped me to take-up a job in social media marketing. I got one and ensured I continue learning. 

I did. I learned. I applied. Today, I have a stable job as a Senior Content Writer in a growing digital marketing company in my hometown.

It was in 2016, I found I was stuck among scores of people who had nothing to do with me or my writings. So, I started removing, and I removed nearly 48% of them and brought the figure down to 239 friends. Of these 239, 10% (just 23) are connected or I can say, they are there to like, comment, or react to my posts and I return the favor. No idea, what's going on with the rest 90%. 

Needless to say, I cherish the company of these 23 people, who are close to my heart. I haven't met all of them in-person but I love them, and they will always have a special place in my heart. 

Coming to what forced me to QUIT Facebook. 4 solid reasons, here they go...
  • Too much addiction - Knowingly or unknowingly, I was getting addicted to logging-in, liking posts (randomly), commenting, logging out, and then coming back to do the same thing. The cycle endlessly continued at work and at home too.

  • A lot of bragging - I am an easy going individual and never like to boast or brag my achievements or written works. I know, it is wrong to expect the same from others but I hate people who brag excessively about petty things. 

  • Posts without context - Of late, posts on the social media giant are out of context, for example - political posts, signing useless petitions, abusive stand-up acts, etc. I see posts that have no relevance. I mean they are useless to me. I would prefer something that helps me increase my knowledge. 

  • Racing to nowhere - It is like a race. I can never win but I can't afford to lose too. To let my friends know that I exist, I regularly need to update my status and if I don't, none would bother to ask my whereabouts. 

To finish, in the past eight years, I had a good time learning, knowing people, and sharpening my writing skill, but this is not the way. There are better ways. There are better options.

Thank you for reading. Do share your experiences.